Page 46 of In Darkness Forged

“Truld,” he murmured, followed by a word that Aislin didn’t recognize but was clearly an oath judging by the tone in which it was uttered.

What had he said about the truld?

Her memory helpfully supplied the information that they were large, intelligent predators, and that they preferred to eat people.

“Is it close?” She hoped her voice wasn’t shaking.

“The scent is fresh, so it was here recently. Perhaps it has already moved on…”

The trees to their left exploded with motion.

Cuan jerked beneath her, leaping agilely out of the way and almost unseating Aislin in the process. Only her grip around Talyn’s waist saved her from flying off into the bushes.

But suddenly, Talyn was no longer in front of her. He was on the ground, crouched before the creature that had emerged from the woods, blades in hand and teeth bared as he stared up at his opponent.

Aislin took one look at the thing he faced and nearly threw up.

Like the trolls from a human bedtime story, it was man-shaped, with two arms, two legs, and a head, and it walked upright. But there the resemblance ended.

The truld towered over Talyn, probably at least twice his height, and slabbed with muscle. Its hide was pale and sprouted dark, coarse hair along its neck, back, and legs. And its face…

The monster’s gaze shifted to focus on Aislin, and she instinctively recoiled. Eerily human, and yet not, it had a flat, wrinkled muzzle and a mouth so wide it could probably have bitten off her head without straining itself. The eyes… Those eyes were the worst. Something like intelligence stared back at her, but with a singular, focused intent. It was hungry, and she was the food it craved most.

Teeth suddenly fastened on the back of her clothing, lifting her up and dropping her on the ground. Cuan. He shoved her briefly with his muzzle, and then he leaped, at the exact moment that Talyn darted forward.

The truld let out an inhuman howl as they converged. It swiped viciously at the wolf with six-fingered hands bearing long, wickedly curved claws, but Cuan only darted away before circling around to snap at the back of the creature’s neck. Despite its bulk, the truld twisted with surprising speed and threw the wolf off.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Talyn ducked under one swinging arm and sliced at the monster’s chest. His attack left a gaping wound, and the resulting bellow of rage probably deafened everything in a mile radius.

Blood poured down the truld’s side, but its movements did not seem to slow. It merely shook its head, bared its hideous teeth, and charged, bearing down on Talyn like a bloodthirsty avalanche.

What could Aislin possibly do? She hated standing there useless and afraid, but this foe was entirely beyond her and her pitiful hatchet.

Talyn suddenly shot her a fierce look and cried, “Go!”

He was commanding her toleave? The thought pierced her with horror, but Aislin was not a fool. If she could do nothing to help, the best course of action was to make herself less of a target, no matter how much it frightened her to be alone in the dark.

So she went, racing away from the trees and up the side of the mountain as quickly as her aching muscles could carry her. Her breath came in labored gasps, only in part from exertion. The choking pressure of fear also weighed on her chest as she wondered whether it was the last time she would see Cuan or Talyn. Whether they faced an opponent beyond even their combined strength.

The truld was everything humans imagined when they spoke of this land in hushed, frightened tones—a creature of darkness, hunger, and teeth. It was the very stuff of nightmares, and itwouldeat her without the slightest hesitation.

So she did not stop. She did not even pause except to search for handholds as she scrambled up the rocky incline like a goat, ignoring everything except the need to reach safety. Her hands tore and bled, but she could not rest—not until her breath gave out, and she looked behind her and realized she could no longer hear the sounds of battle.

She almost called out for Talyn, but… what if he’d lost the fight? A jolt of pure terror shot through her at the thought. If Talyn was dead, the truld would come after her, and any sound would only alert the monster to her position.

If Talyn was dead, she was alone. If Talyn was dead, he would never growl at her again. Never ride Cuan through the forest like they were one creature instead of two. Never achieve his revenge so he could finally live free of its weight. Never…

Aislin slammed the door on those thoughts. Surely he could not die so easily. He was powerful and deadly, with magic beyond her comprehension. And he had Cuan. But the thing they faced had been enormous, with strength and cunning far beyond the usual predator.

What if it had killed him? What if she’d left him to his death by running away to save herself?

No, she’d done the right thing. She knew that. Staying would only have made things worse. Talyn would have been forced to worry about protecting her instead of focusing on the battle. But what now?

Perhaps the battle was over. Perhaps the truld was already dead, and Talyn was even now following her up the mountainside. But there was no sign of pursuit, no glow from the wolf’s golden eyes. The night remained empty and still, and Aislin felt a swell of panic at the silence. If something had happened to them, how could she go on?

Wavering with indecision, she took a step to the side, and her foot met only empty air. One moment she was searching the moonlit landscape, hoping for any sign of white hair or glowing amber eyes, and the next, she was plummeting sideways into darkness.

Something struck her as she fell, driving the air from her lungs. Aislin shut her eyes and curled her arms around her head just before her whole body jolted against a hard surface. A cry of agony escaped her as she slid down some steep and rocky slope, farther and farther, until she finally came to a stop against what felt like a stone wall.

---